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2014/2015
Page 4 – "This is an area characterized by a stunning landscape, strong contrasts, fine margins and vulnerability". PA G E 26
PA G E 16
PA G E 36
Living in PA G E 9
PHOTO: OLE JØRGEN LIODDEN/WILDPHOTO TRAVEL
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LNS Spitsbergen AS is a part of the LNS Group and have base in Spitsbergen. Besides operating in Spitsbergen the company also have had many projects in other Arctic and Antarctic areas. LNS Spitsbergen offers various services for companies operating in Spitsbergen. The list of services includes road construction, logistics, construction and transportation, drilling, repair shops and warehouses. The company owns and operates the tank farms in Longyearbyen wich provides gas and fuel as well as bunkering of domestic and foreign vessels. Contact information: LNS Spitsbergen AS Vei 605 9170 Longyearbyen firmapostlnss@lns.no Telephone +47 79 02 49 50 www.lns.no
LNSS operate from “Pole to Pole – around the world”!
Logistics support in the Arctic?
We can help you with: Shipping, transport, handling and distribution. At our main location in Longyearbyen we in addition can help with: · Terminal services · Warehousing · Cold storage · Storage for food and vegetables · Outdoor storage of containers or other goods · Container rental · Bunkering · Machine shop · Workshop for contracting equipment · Welding shop · Garage · Gas station · Car rental . Accomodation
For all this you need only one contact: LNS Polar Partner AS Bykaia 9170 Longyearbyen polarpartner@lns.no Telephone +47 79 02 49 50 Direct phone +47 91 72 01 15
We want to be the preferred partner for logistics support in the arctic
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Toyota Hilux – The pickup for the Arctic
Svalbard Auto The world’s northernmost car dealer is a Toyota dealer
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LIVING IN THE ARCTIC Midway between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole lies Svalbard. It is undoubtedly a remote piece of land, but the truth of the Arctic archipelago is there is a central outpost with an infrastructure that leaves many communities on the mainland far behind. Enabling such a society – only 1,200 kilometers from the North Pole – to function optimally requires welldeveloped transport thoroughfares and extensive use of new technology. Svalbard is also at the forefront when it comes to research. Ny-Ålesund, which houses researchers from around the world, is involved in a wide range of studies including retrieving information from quasars at the edge of our galaxy, from Platüfjellet by controlling a large number of satellites in orbit around the Earth and from the top of Adventdalen where they can follow activities on the sun's surface. Longyearbyen was one of the first places in Norway with fullydeveloped, high-speed lines for internet and mobile telephones. This is also an area characterized by a stunning landscape, strong contrasts, fine margins and vulnerability. In the Arctic, climate change is experienced first. The temperature rises, the ice melts, and the condition of the life in the sea and on land is subject to change. In addition, the footprints left by humans in nature remain for generations. How appropriate then is it to travel into this setting? It depends, of course, what basis one has. But seeing and experiencing the Arctic nature helps to create an understanding of the challenges and shapes attitudes – valuable attitudes – which can be spread through words and deeds. Following the rules of traffic is sufficient, which also minimizes footprints. Travel businesses are also now working in cooperation with Innovation Norge to earn the distinction of "sustainable tourism destination." This is also a changing society. The cornerstone company, Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS, is responsible for a thousandth of the world's coal production. Nevertheless, both the mining operation and the fact that it is stoked by coal in Svalbard is a paradox. However, the company provides directly and indirectly for the equivalent of about 600 year-round jobs. Although most of the coal is used for energy production, an increasing portion in the future will be used by the metallurgical industry. In addition, the company is working to reduce emissions at the same as environmental regulations are being strengthened. People in Svalbard come from all over the world and represent more than 40 different countries. Svalbard has always had a strong force of attraction. The Svalbard Treaty also stipulates that everyone is welcome. That also applies to visitors. Have a nice stay in the Arctic. -ep-
Table of contents Multicultural Svalbard. Page 6 – 7
Can tourism in the Arctic be sustainble? Page 9 – 12 Seeking peaks 78 degrees north. Page 14
Watching polar bears closely. Page 16 – 17
The last trappers. Page 20 – 24
Taking entrepreneurship into extremes. Page 26 – 28 What causes the sea to rise. Page 30 – 31 Wining and dining - or just a cup of coee? Page 32 – 33 A coal-hearted tradition. Page 36 – 37 Watchful eyes from space. Page 38 t 501 0' 5)& 803-% JT B NBHB[JOF GSPN 4WBMCBSEQPTUFO UIF XPSMEhT OPSUIFSONPTU OFXTQBQFS 5IF NBHB[JOF JT QSPEVDFE BDDPSEJOH UP UIF &UIJDBM $PEF PG 1SBDUJDF GPS UIF /PSXFHJBO 1SFTT BOE UIF 3JHIUT BOE %VUJFT PG UIF &EJUPS 5PQ PG UIF 8PSME JT GSFF o GPS ZPV BT B WJTJUPS UP 4WBMCBSE PS JORVJSFS BCPVU UIF "SDUJD t 5IF TUBò $ISJTUPQIFS &OHĂŒT $ISJTUJBO /JDPMBJ #K“SLF &JSJL (ZMMFOTUFO 5IPNBT /JMTFO 8FODIF 4“SFOTFO BOE .BSL 4BCCBUJOJ MBOHVBHF DPOTVMUBOU
t 3FTQPOTJCMF FEJUPS &JSJL 1BMN 1SJOUFS -VOECMBE .FEJB "4 *O DPMMBCPSBUJPO XJUI Visit Svalbard
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www.snsk.no
Foto: Bjarki Friis
Study on top of the world? UNIS offers course in biology, geology, geophysics and technology at the bachelor-, master- and PhD level. Application deadlines: April 15 and October 15 www.unis.no
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STAFFED BY THE WORLD: The Radisson Blu Polar Hotel, like most businesses, recruits its employees from the whole world. On May 17 – Norway's independence day – these were the workers at the restaurant. Left to right: Mateus Grazziotin (Brazil), Tyler Krul (USA), Atit Pandee (Thailand), Joel Franzén (Sweden), Lis Allaart (Denmark), Josefin Romlid (Sweden), Angelina Voronina (Ukraine), Dagmar Murarikova (Slovakia) and Mouawia Llababidi (Syria). PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER ENGÅS
A true sense of multiculturalism People from 43 countries live in Longyearbyen. The non-Norwegian part of the population has surpassed 25 percent. ii Christopher Engås
"This society is truly remarkable. I have spent time in many parts of the world, but there is no place like Svalbard where there is a true sense of multiculturalism". Taylor Krul, 37, originally from California, is posing for a picture with his colleagues at the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel in Longyearbyen. A quick glance at the restaurant reveals the staff on this particular day consists of people from eight different nations. The Svalbard Treaty of 1925, which outlines the ground rules
for Norwegian sovereignty in the archipelago, states nationals from all signing countries have the right to reside and work on Svalbard. No work permit or visa is required, but everyone has to fend for themselves. 'No paradise' Gov. Odd Olsen Ingerø describes the situation in the following way: "Svalbard is no paradise, this is something we emphasize to journalists and others who contact us on these matters," he says. "But it is open for everybody. If you can fend for yourself and
obey the laws and regulations you can stay here." Living in Svalbard means one does not have access to the relatively generous social benefit programs of the Norwegian government (unless one is employed by a Norwegian company) and making a living can be tough with the high cost of living. Every year the governor sends people from Svalbard because they, in one way or another, have become unable to handle the financial burden of living here. Apart from the Norwegian majority, Sweden and Thailand
are the countries with most nationals in Longyearbyen. Thai surge The Swedes traditionally work in the restaurant sector, but also in the tourist industry and in academia. In recent years Longyearbyen has gotten more Thai nationals and a lot of them work in the service sector. The difference between Sweden and Thailand is the former country is a treaty signing partner, while the latter is not. But the governor has to this date not differentiated between the two. "There are not very many
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CELEBRATING: The annual Thai festival Loy Krathong is celebrated every year in December. PHOTO: LINE NAGELL YLVISĂ…KER
nationals from non-signing nations in Svalbard," the governor states. "We would not gain very much by differentiating between people. Thus, to this point we have treated everybody on an equal basis." Best of both worlds Taylor Krul has lived in Longyearbyen with his girlfriend for a year now and will soon be on his way to Spain where he is enrolling in a language program. Before he came to the High North he worked in Russia, Paris, Alaska, Oregon and Antarctica. As a true globetrotter, he had to experience Svalbard as well. "I grew up in the heat of California, so I have always sought out colder places to live and take vacations," he says. "After spending a full year as a chef at the McMurdo station in Antarctica, my girlfriend and I decided to visit Svalbard on the other side of the globe." They fell in love with Longyearbyen immediately after walking around Huset. "In my opinion, there is no other place like this on Earth," he says. "You can experience the Arctic, but still buy bananas at the store. The community is an enriching mix of different people, a lot of whom are remarkable personalities." Surely he must have some criticism about the Longyearbyen way of life? "Of course," Krul says. "I am not impressed by the level of environmental awareness in general. People seem to burn almost anything and the use of plastic bags from the store is a joke. My hope is that more measures to protect the vulnerable environment here will be taken in the future."
ii Nationalities
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
DESIGN
DIGITAL MEDIA
GIVEAWAYS
MADE IN TROMSĂ˜ BY LUNDBLAD
Phone 77 75 32 50 lundblad@lundblad.no www.lundblad.no
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Christin Kristoffersen, leader of Longyearbyen Local Municipal Council
Welcome to Longyearbyen! The world’s northernmost family community! First there were fishermen, hunters, scientists and mining pioneers who saw opportunities in the Arctic. They traveled north to this stunningly beautiful land and established their activities. Activities that formed the basis for this exciting community and the fantastic platform Longyearbyen is today.
special competence in the Arctic. Road construction on glaciers, building foundations on permafrost, Arctic research and retrieval of data from polar-orbiting satellites are some of the examples our expertise and location has resulted in. The business community today is based on the key pillars of coal, tourism, research, education, space-related activities and Arctic logistics.
The active family community Here we find an international airport, international port, fiber-optic and broadband services, power plant, hospital, fire department, rescue services, research, education, good hotel capacity, public administration, logistical services, mining, building and construction, satellite station, tourism, school, kindergartens, restaurants, and culture and leisure.
These will also be the key pillars going forward, as the city's Strategic Business Plan for the next 20 years shows. In addition, plans for further port development in Longyearbyen were completed in 2014. The efforts are also powerful in ensuring a robust and sustainable tourism industry with a fascinating history here in the north.
Longyearbyen has also a number of volunteer groups and organizations. They organize events and festivals such as Dark Season Blues, Polarjazz, Spitsbergen Up and Down, Spitsbergen Marathon, and – not least – Svalbard Ski Marathon!
The government has also indicated there will be a doubling of students engaged in university studies in Longyearbyen during the next few years. We educate Arctic guides through a one-year college course of study and are now starting a preparatory course for engineering students.
In other words, here you'll find just about everything. And EVERYTHING is world-class, on top of the world and within walking distance.
Longyearbyen's municipal government The elected local council is the highest body of Longyearbyen's municipal government, which is responsible for the operation of all infrastructure in Longyearbyen not assigned to the state or others. Longyearbyen's government is also responsible for the school, kindergartens, library, sports hall, Galleri Svalbard and cultural center, and we have a good deal to offer younger people through a youth club and culture school.
As if that was not enough, Longyearbyen is strongly characterized by a particularly pleasant, competent and international population that's highly engaged. Business, research and higher education Longyearbyen has a vibrant, exciting and diverse economy. Our unique position in the world gives us challenges, but also great opportunities. This has resulted in a business community in Longyearbyen that has a
www.lokalstyre.no
It is in this perspective that we argue Longyearbyen is the high-Arctic capital and this city is in position to become a developing center in the increased activity we see in the north.
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SLEDDING: The dogs are silent as they follow the tracks in Adventdalen.
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FOTO: CHRISTIAN NICOLAI BJØRKE
Traveling in a wonderland It's one of those winter days when the air is crisp and the stars are trembling. The sun is back and dazzling on the landscape, but it's keeping its heat for itself. ii Eirik Gyllesten
The thermometer is approaching 20 degrees below zero and a little breath of wind is blowing through Adventdalen. More than enough to make it feel significantly cooler. "We have seven dog teams today," says Thomas Grant Olsen, 28, our guide. Svalbard Husky has 50 dogs. "Do I know them all?" Olsen asks as we prepare the teams. "Oh yes, very well. They are quite different, both in appearance and personality. They are, of course, a mixed breed." A planet We are two on each dogsled. One sitting in the sled and one standing behind. The one at the back is responsible for braking and, perhaps most importantly,
not letting go. Then it can be difficult to catch the dogs. I am mushing with Louise Rigozzi. She's from Tasmania, an island just south of Australia, and has lived up here two different times. Now she is back to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the sundial that is at the Skjæringa memorial in Longyearbyen. It was she who made it. "It was to generate interest for the sun's special movement so far north," she says. "The sun goes around and around all summer, providing perpetual daylight, before it slowly disappears and is gone. On the brightest day the sun is 36 degrees above the horizon and on the darkest day is a similar number of degrees below." The first thing that strikes me is how quiet it is. We humans are accustomed to sitting on the pas-
senger seat and floating through the landscape, but always with noise from some engine. It's almost as if one would expect that the dogs will make motor noises. Or bark like crazy. Something. Adventdalen is wide, smooth and flat. As if it's been flattened by a bulldozer to make a path between the towering mountains. It looks so much like the desert. And the mountains are reminiscent of the pyramids in Egypt. Or the Grand Canyon. "Or Mars," Louise says. It is like being on another planet. The tourism-boom In 1990-1991 the government facilitated the development of tourism as a base industry in Svalbard, so long as it did not happen at the expense of the
vulnerable natural environment. Since then there has been strong growth in tourism, from just under 20,000 guest nights in 1991 to 86,000 in 2007. "There was stagnation and a slight decrease in the period 2008 to 2012, but in 2013 we finally managed to create growth again and we hare happy about that," says Ronny Brunvoll, director for Visit Svalbard. The number of guest nights rose by more 20,000 in 2013 compared to 2012, making last year the best ever for the tourism industry with more than 107,000 guest nights. Tourism in Svalbard has gone from being a simple offering to being extensive and varied. There are traditional hotels full of history, niche hotels, guest
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ii houses and boarding houses, and dozens of dining and drinking options. There are many travel companies that offer different experiences. Spitsbergen Travel is the largest, while Trust Arkikugol is a Russian travel agent. From Longyearbyen visitors can go on guided snowmobile tours to several settlements, historic sites, places with unique nature and to the polar bears on the east coast. You can stay in a boat that is frozen in the ice. You can explore the ice caves, go on Northern Lights safari, eat dinner in the wilderness, collect fossils, go on a boat tour or walk alongside Spitsbergen, for that matter. In summer there are many cruise ships that find their way here. And dog mushing, of course. The tourism industry has become the second largest in Svalbard, after coal. Last pristine wilderness Svalbard has a land area of 62,700 square kilometers making up a significant part of Norway's and Europe's last unspoiled wilderness. What may be the world's most viable polar bear population lives on the islands and on the ice in the surrounding waters. Unique species such as the squat-andstocky Svalbard reindeer, and the large-and-heavy Svalbard ptarmigan live almost exclusively here. There is an agreed-upon goal that Svalbard should be one of the world's most-protected wilderness areas. However, since the early '90s there has also been a desire to drive targeted tourism here. Can tourism as an industry go hand-in-hand with preserving Svalbard as a pristine wilderness? "It is clear that we have a special responsibility," Brunvoll says. "We also follow particularly strict regulations, precisely because the nature of Svalbard is particularly vulnerable." The Svalbard Environmental Protection Act sets strict regulations for tourism and all human activity in the archipelago, and includes virtually every aspect of environmental considerations in Svalbard. The Act, which took effect in 2001, seeks to maintain a
virtually untouched natural environment in Svalbard, while at the same time striving not to be an obstacle to environmentally sound settlements, research and commercial activities. Foreign policy is extremely important for Norway to maintain this kind of human activity in the archipelago, although the interests of nature conservation also play a large role. In addition, the general perception seems to be that there is a clear intrinsic value in having a strong community here, regardless of political interests. Can tourism in Svalbard continue to grow without compromising the fragile nature? "Yes, most certainly," Brunvoll says. "We need growth here. Tourism is a very important industry for the future." But Svalbard is exotic. What if it continues to grow? Can Svalbard withstand explosive growth? "The tourism organizations affect a very small part of the area in Svalbard and the average number of people coming through is 120 every day," Brunvoll says. "Svalbard will never be Majorca." During the peak seasons of March-April and July-August he estimates that, at most, about 650 are here at the same time. Svalbard is one of the first places to achieve a standard of "Sustainable Tourism." This, Brunvoll asserts, is absolutely necessary. Svalbard is a place where concern for nature comes before everything else, even the industry. Changes Back in the sled. As the dogs chase off we see something black extending down the mountain. Coal dust from Mine 7 stands in sharp contrast to the white, clean landscape. Mine 7 is the only mine near Longyearbyen still in operation, and it is the one that provides light and warmth for the community. But there is something else that threatens both the mining industry and the rest of the Arctic. Climate change. "Ten years ago I was driving a snowmobile over Isfjorden," Louise says. "The whole inner part was covered. We drove 50 kilometers over the fjord, but it was a pretty scary ride." This winter not even Adventf jorden is covered. At
CONCERNED: Guro Tveito, head of the governor´s Department for Environmental Protection.
READY: Louise Rigozzi . PHOTO: EIRIK GYLLENSTEN
PHOTO: GOV. OF SVALBARD
TEMPELET: A magnificent view from the mountain tops, but there was almost no ice on the fjords last winter. PHOTO: EIRIK PALM
Tempelfjorden there was finally fast ice during the last week of March. Frank Nilsen, an oceanographer at The University Centre in Svalbard, says that isn't the latest ever, but it is certainly unusually late. It is getting warmer and it is happening fast. Just as the researchers say. It's happening fastest in the Arctic. It does not seem that we can turn the tide. CO2 already emitted stays in the atmosphere for 1,000 years. The Arctic climate is already changing rapidly. Minimizing damage What happens then? Living areas for seals and polar bears have shrunken significantly, and here the interests between wildlife and tourism clash. The same ice seals and polar bears need to hunt are popular areas for snowmobile tourism.
Snowmobile season coincides with the time when the seals give birth to their pups on the ice and when female polar bears with cubs emerging from the den have a window to feed up so they can survive the summer months with little access to food. An important overall goal of Svalbard is precisely not to disturb the wildlife. Researchers have observed engine noise can both cause polar bears to stop nursing their young and abandon hunting. Baby seals that are exposed on the ice become easy prey for glaucous gulls if the mother is frightened away. It is precisely this problematic situation that concerns the governor's environmental leader, Guri Tveito. "This we have seen is enormously obvious this year with little ice in the fjords, and we are now looking into ways to manage
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BLUE: Man becomes small in front of the glaciers. Due to the risk, the guides keep a safety distance to the ice edge. PHOTO: MARCELA CARDENAS
traffic so that both tourists and residents alike can experience the wilderness without disturbing the wildlife in this important period." Tveito points out the habitats of seals and polar bears during a winter like this are greatly reduced and that an important location for polar bears, the east coast of Svalbard, is a popular area for tourists. Brunvoll, however, isn't concerned. "Tempelfjorden and the east coast are small parts of huge areas where polar bears and seals can be," he says, but adds the tourism industry would like to have most offering for tourists near settlements to minimize damage to nature and wildlife. Most participants are also serious, emphasizes the envi-
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ronmental leader. «My impression is that if there is some (damage), it is not much,» she says. «They relate to the framework that has been laid. Most are serious operators, but there are also some that disreputable and then you have to use more resources. In essence, it is the serious, good operators who are keen to follow the law. Sometimes we get anonymous calls from people who observe violations with the traffic rules not being complied with or that the wildlife is being disturbed, but the main impression is good.» Should there be consideration of the vulnerable nature in limiting how much tourism can grow? «The most important thing is how they act and how they travel, not necessarily how many there are. It need not be a problem that there are more.» Fresh and cold Along the way it becomes brighter. Only the sound of paws trotting, the breath of the Alaskan Huskies, runners drawing over the snowy landscape – and our small talk. Above us the steep mountains are pointing up to the sky. The striking of the sun's rays is sharp and the clear, crisp air bites at your cheeks. It is important to be well dressed, especially during the winter in the Arctic. Then it is also the most comfortable to enjoy the nature: the sight of the Northern Lights that color the sky during the dark season as stars are twinkling in the sky above the landscape that was painted blue by the moon. Or the days and nights where the sun shines around the clock over the white landscape. During spring and into the summer the sun shines all day. Some days the moon also stays up full-time. It is not just the sun that behaves strangely. «The moon is above the horizon nine days straight,» Louise says as we're headed back to the dog kennels. «It goes around and around, and then suddenly it's gone the rest of the month.» A little time later we stop outside the dog kennels. The dogs are unharnessed and placed securely in kennels that are lined up in the fenced enclosure. They get praise and food. So that they are ready for the next trip.
DANGEROUS: Trash kills a lot of animals. Every year the govenor arranges cleaning cruises in Svalbard. PHOTO: GOV. OF SVALBARD
Trash threatens wildlife in the Arctic Annually 150 cubic meters of trash is cleared from beaches in Svalbard. That represents about 17 full truckloads, and is a large problem for wildlife, people and the environment. "The main source is the fishing industry," says Guri Tveito, head of the Svalbard governor's Department for Environmental Protection. "There is a lot of yarn and nets, rope, strapping, f ish crates, plastic flasks and similar items." Studies show animals con-
fuse plastic with food. Ninety percent of fulmars autopsied last fall had plastic waste in their stomachs. In addition, animals get caught in the waste, on land or underwater. Yarn lying on the seabed will continue to fish, and be a danger for seals and other marine animals that get stuck. Every year Tveito helps organize a cleaning cruise aboard the governor's ship that residents of Svalbard can
participate in. In addition, rubbish is cleared during other voyages. The cruise industry also contributes by cleaning beaches when they take tourist groups on land. But the sea is full of trash that drifts around and some finds it way to Svalbard's beaches. "From when a beach is cleared it takes about six years before it is filled up again,» Tveito says. «Nevertheless, it is a meaningful thing to do."
In the center of stars and planets "In 2015, I'm determined to be in Longyearbyen, if I'm not at the North Pole," astrophysicist Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard says. He is talking about the solar eclipse on March 20, 2015. The eclipse will last slightly more than two minutes and a lot of enthusiasts are looking for accomodations in Svalbard at that moment. For the solar eclipse he thinks there must be infrastructure in place for a large screen and power somewhere in Longyearbyen, since it is the best place to see the eclipse. "If it becomes cloudy it will be dark during the eclipse anyway, but you will not see the other phenomena," Ødegaard says. "Then it will be natural to see
PREPARED: Astrophysicist Knut Jørgen Røed Ødegaard is looking forward to the big event. PHOTO: LINE NAGELL YLVISÅKER
what is happening above the clouds and elsewhere on the big screen." Ødegaard went to Svalbard on June 6, 2012, to see the
Transit of Venus. During the visit he also spent time informing people about the next big event in Svalbard in March 20, 2015.
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Do you dream about Svalbard?
A somewhat different HOTEL
Tel +47 79 02 37 02 www.polarriggen.com NORBYE & KONSEPTA AS
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Seeking peaks in Svalbard With more participants, new locations and cream-of-the-crop weather, Toppturfestivalen Svalbard climbed to new heights.
EASY LIVING: Participants are responsible for their own safety when they are traveling outside the camp.
on Gipsvika and the festival was more or less a friends of friends After many hectic weeks festival. Last year it was open to and four busy festival days at all and the camp was moved to Trygghamna on a June weekend Trygghamna. last year, the board of Topptur"Trygghamna has been an festivalen Svalbard could finally obvious favorite for us," Engebu calm down. A total of 95 paying said. "It is sheltered and it is a guests from all over the country shorter approach from the camp and more than 20 volunteers to the mountains." made the festival a success. After some creative marke"The feedback has been ting, tickets were released at entirely positive," said Håkon 12:12 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2012. Engebu, the board's spokesman. All of the tickets were snatched "Several of the participants away after only 23 minutes. talked about this as a life ex"We have been conscious perience and the highlight of about how we have marketed their year." the festival," he said. "We have given out information bit by bit Tickets torn away to create expectations." In 2011, the board stepped up and began organizing Svalbard's Much work first-ever "summit festival" for Top of the World visited the the spring of 2012. It took place camp. There was a common ii Anders Fjellestad
Sami tent, a sauna tent, music from speakers, cheerful festival participants and good moods. Around the camp were 60 wellworn tents well looked after by volunteers serving as polar bear guards. "For us, safety is paramount," Engebu said. "We have thought through various scenarios such as landslides and polar bears. We have a good set of plans to address unforeseen events. At the same time, participants are responsible for their own safety when they are traveling outside the camp." There is a lot of work behind the festival. Logistics, messages to the governor's office, transporting equipment and food, setting up the Sami tent, trampling down snow and digging toilets are just some of
PHOTO: STÅLE SCHUMACHER
the things needing to be done. Festival goers were transported to and from the camp on the Langøysund tour vessel. Room for improvement For the six board members it was a year of full-time work, but rich they are not. "There is no money to be made on this," Engebu said. "Any surplus is in this case transferred to the next year." Why not arrange it earlier during the winter? "First, we need to get clear of the corresponding events on the mainland," Engebu said. "We will also have stable, warm weather and a type of snow that is the most 'slush-like.' Even if we miss powder snow, we believe the conditions are better and safer now."
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OPPLEV VERDENS NORDLIGSTE VAREHUS
Vi har gode sommertilbud i hele juni, juli og august, og kan ellers tilby: ล /RQJ\HDUE\HQV EHVWH VXYHQLUDYGHOLQJ PHG XQLNH VDPOHREMHNWHU ล 7D[IUHH SULVHU WLO DOOH ล 6WRUW SDUI\PHUL PHG EUHGW XWYDOJ DY GXIWHU VPLQNH KXG RJ KยงUSOHLH ล )HUVNYDUHU RJ GDJOLJYDUHU PHG VSHQQHQGH GHOLNDWHVVHGLVN 6YDOEDUGEXWLNNHQ ยบQVNHU DOOH YยงUH NXQGHU RJ WXULVWHU YHONRPPHQ WLO HQ K\JJHOLJ VRPPHUKDQGHO | QRUG FD PLO IUD 1RUGSROHQ
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Wandered over six time zones Kara the polar bear is a tough lady. Never before has a GPS-marked polar bear in Svalbard covered such a long stretch. ii Eirik Palm
" We ma rked K a ra last spring," says Jon Aars, a polar bear scientist with the Norwegian Polar Institute. "The transmitter stopped sending in winter." He believes the polar bear has gone into hibernation on Franz Josef Land. Kara – a 13-year-old female that weighs 217 kilograms and is 2.2 meters long – was originally marked on a glacier on Spitsbergen in April of last year. After the marking she continued out on Storfjorden and Edgeøya, but it was clear that she was going farther away. Before she turned west again, she passed through six time zones. Awestruck The map shows the GPS track of the polar bear mother. Calculations done with the Google Maps Distance Calculator shows that from April to December of last year she traveled nearly 3,100 kilometers, mostly on the ice, but also on swims that lasted several days. The polar bear walked and swam to Severnaya Zemlya, east of the Kara Sea, before turning its nose westward again in a more northerly route to Franz Josef Land. Scientists are baffled. "We followed it closely because it was so strange," Aars says. "I thought it was going to Franz Josef Land, but it was a bit poor with the ice there, so I think it changed his mind. So we thought it was going to Novaya Zemlya, but as it approached it turned it and went northeast. So I thought it would go on to an island called Ensomheten, not
TAKING A NAP: The cubs are sleeping while Jon Aars examines their mother. She is not similar to Kara. PHOTO: NORW. POLAR INSTITUTE
far away, but it again decided against it and went north. It also took a long time before it went on land." This is unusual for the researchers. Over the years they have sent between 200 and 300 transmitters out in Svalbard and never before has a marked polar bear covered such a large stretch. During the early 1990s a marked polar bear went to Novaya Zemlya and there is also a case where a bear wandered from Svalbard to Greenland. Prefereces "We are certainly impressed just that it went to to Franz Josef Land," the polar bear researcher says. "It says at the least that they are able to make long distances
LONG TRIP: The red line shows the tracks of Kara the polar bear.
and that they have a large capacity. So it hunts along the way, it will eat steadily and I think it might have been in good hunting areas." Both strategies work fine, Aars says, referring to bears who are more sedentary. People who were out last summer and fall have also reported they observed much fatter bears on the ice than in Svalbard. Kara left Severnaya Zemlya after a few days and, according to measurements from the GPS transmitter and temperature transmitter, she swam for two to three days on the way west again towards Franz Josef Land. In December, the transmitter stopped working. It is likely the polar bear has gone into hibernation, according to the researchers. "And it's quite possible it has kids," Aars says.
But is the bear aware of where it's going? "I think they have preferences," he says. "But it is not certain that it was a Svalbard bear. Maybe it was a Franz Josef bear?" Fewer kids One of the lessons from this year's polar expedition was that there have been fewer cubs less than a year old. "But it was striking enough that one begins to wonder whether this has been a bad year," he says. "Of the 29 females, we had three females with cubs. In normal conditions a third or more will have cubs." The results from the expedition will be published soon. Experience shows the number of one-year-olds is normal. A female with two newborns, which Svalbardposten wrote about earlier during the winter, are
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not included in the registration since she is not marked. There is also a pair of females that have been hibernating and researchers know at least one has given birth. Thin ice A total of 73 polar bears were handled this season. Researchers take measurements of all to determine growth, in addition to specific tests. The age of the bears is determined by taking a sample from a rudimentary tooth, a small tooth behind the canine teeth. "The season was entirely pleasant," Aars says. "There was a very special relationship with the ice, which arrived very late. The ice that was in large parts of Storfjorden was thick enough to carry bears, but too thin for us to work there, so it was challenging." The polar bear project gets
financial support from WWF, which also presents information collected. This year, WWF also assisted the Norwegian Polar Institute aboard the research vessel Lance during parts of the fieldwork. ii Facts
t 8IFO UIF TBUFMMJUF USBOTNJUUFS JT ESBJOFE PG QPXFS JU MPPTFOT JUTFMG PVU BOE GBMMT Pò UIF QPMBS CFBS UP XIJDI JU JT BUUBDIFE t 6OUJM UIFO SFTFBSDIFST DBO GPMMPX UIF CFBST PWFS MPOH QFSJPET /FX BOE CFU UFS UFDIOPMPHZ BMMPXT UIFN UP SFDFJWF IPVSMZ QPTJUJPOT BMPOH XJUI PUIFS JOGPSNBUJPO TVDI BT UFNQFSBUVSF 1SFWJPVTMZ UIFZ PCUBJOFE POF QPTJUJPO QFS ZFBS t /FX CFBST BSF GSFRVFOUMZ NBSLFE GPS UIF QVSQPTF PG PCUBJOJOH CFUUFS LOPXMFEHF PG UIFJS CFIBWJPS BOE MJWJOH DPOEJUJPOT
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Beardwork It has become tradition for Kåre Holter Solhjell to let his beard grow out during his stays at Hopen.
BEAR SPOTTER: Kåre Holter Solhjell has seen at least 500 polar bears, many of them from the living room window at the meteorological station at Hopen. PHOTO: CHRISTIAN NICOLAI BJØRKE
ii Christian Nicolai Bjørke
"It is mostly for fun," says Kåre Holter Solhjell, commander of the Hopen Meteorological Station. "For man must certainly have a long beard when man finds himself far away in the Arctic Ocean." He recently began his seventh season on the narrow island southeast of Edgeøya. Every visit he cultivates his beard from the first day. It was an ordeal when last summer he had continue as the station's commander for a few months due to a lack of recruiting. Until finally, the beard was nine months long – a kind of beard pregnancy. Natural experience Why does he keep coming back to Hopen? "It's very much a natural
experience," he says. "I am fascinated by the dark season, ice drift and polar bears. Combined with the isolation you experience at Hopen as the leader is what constantly draws me back here." Solhjell says he's seen at least 500 polar bears, many of them from the living room window at the station. "There have been many flares up throughout the area," he says. In addition, he has scrutinized almost every meter of the 33 kilometers along the island, including a systematic review of all the inlets cutting into Hopen. He is currently the most experienced active Hopenarian. "I like the contrast between the life I have at home and what I have here," he says. His hometown is Oslo, in the traditional working-class district of Grünerløkka. The city boy, as he calls himself, has
worked on the North Sea and at the meteorological institute in Blindern. "The first time I came here it was like a coming to the moon," he says. "I was tested on much I had not done at home, like driving the tractor and welding." Newspaper Another thing he tried was creating a newspaper. He is the founder of the Hopen Times, which began as a travelogue for friends and family. It is now a glimpse into the isolated community for all who wish – and some who don't. "It is a fairly informal publication, with enforced subscribers," he says. "That means people I think should read it are being put on a subscriber list. The newspaper has an international profile, and finds its way to both Germany and Brazil."
GOOD LOOKING: Finally, the beard was nine months long – a kind of beard pregnancy. PHOTO: PRIVATE
Solhjell says he takes one season at a time and doesn't know if he will come back to Hopen after he finishes this summer. Despite spending many years on one of the islands of Svalbard, he has never been to Longyearbyen. "But I'm thinking a little about trying to live there," he says. "I just need a job."
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TOP OF THE WORLD ALL PHOTOS: ARILD STRAND/ERIK FORFANG
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In 1969, Arild Strand was in Greenland to fetch musk ox calves for wool production in northern Norway. When he was told over the radio that there were to be protection zones for the polar bear, he cast himself around and went to Halvmåneøya for the last hunt.
The last polar bear hunters ii Christian Nicolai Bjørke
In recent days Arild Strand, 72, has gone around dazed in a strange world. For the first time in 44 years he again leaves traces in the snow in Svalbard. But much has changed in Longyearbyen since he arrived as a miner. Rows of jagged houses, sports shops and cafes are located where Longyearelva once branched out into small creeks. Now a river of bulldozers gather and some ferocious small wasps of snowmobiles buzz to
and fro throughout the winter with fierce speed. Even when walking around in what was once well-known territory – namely Nybyen, up the valley – where he as a young miner stayed in one of the many barracks, he is not man enough to remember where he lived. New colors, new signs, new people. People with clean hands without calloused palms. "It's become a completely different society, and there are not many of us innocent miners and trappers left," he says quietly.
Ever since he left the islands in 1970, he's thought back on his time here and how a westside boy from Oslo found his way to a hunter's life in Svalbard's extremes.
out for me," he says. "I was going to be a merchant. But then I read Helge Ingstad's 'Trapping Life Among North Canada's Indians.'" It awakened something within him and he began to run with Call of the trappers' life dogs. First at Krokskogen in Strand, who grew up in the Nordmarka, later bringing them Ullern district of Oslo, was up on the long Hardangervidda. virtually born behind the counter All the time he was with Per at the Bjørnsletta colonial. To- Johnson, a man who would have a gether with his family he regaled central place in both Norwegian the legal-age privileged ladies on polar history and Strand's life. After covering the length and westside of the capital. "The road was really well laid breadth of Hardangervidda for
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BEAR ON A LEASH: Arild Strand keeps an eye on some of the polar cubs they caught during the winter. The cubs are being fed powdered milk from a ketchup bottle to survive.
THE LARGEST: This is the largest polar bear Arild Strand, left, shot. It measured 3.05 meters from snout to tail, and may have weighed as much as 800 kilograms. Strand's brother-in-law and hunting partner Erik Forfang is at right.
CRACKED FINGER: Per Johnson has got a "cracked finger" from the bacteria of a seal he skinned. The polar bear cub is one of several that hunters took care of for the University of Oslo.
some years, Strand and Johnson heard in 1963 that adventurer Bjørn O. Staib was gearing up for an expedition to the North Pole. Staib had just come back after crossing Greenland in the same way as Fritjof Nansen 74 years earlier. Now Staib would try to reach the North Pole by
dog sled as Peary claimed he did in 1909. On a sponsorship tour in the United States, Staib had collected more than one million kroner. Miserable-condition dogs Strand wrote a letter in which he and Johnson showed interest in
participating. To be on the safe side, he marched up to Staib's doorbell a few days later. Staib bit, and both Strand and Johnson found a life as mushers. First, they were commissioned to find about 30 Greenland dogs in good shape for miserable conditions. They continued to explore Hardangervidda to train the dogs. They then went with a Hercules aircraft to Thule on the northwest side of Greenland to buy 120 dogs from the Inuit. The tour went on to Ellesmere Island in Canada, where the expedition would start. It was a strenuous affair with a lot of pack ice. Many of the participants were military with communications backgrounds, but with very little experience of running dogs. Twelve sleds were purchased for 120,000 kroner. In temperatures down to minus 63 degrees Celsius they would break within 20 minutes. The expedition never reached the Pole, but it got further north than Nansen's 86 degrees. For Strand and Johnson that was OK; for regardless of whether they made it the whole way, they were responsible for the supplies along with three Inuit. And they took something home with them. The polar life had, in fact, set itself in the Oslo boys. The pass on the mud Johnson went forth on the hunt while Strand went to Longyearbyen to be a miner. In the autumn of 1965 he was at the forefront of development in what he believes was Mine 2b. "I had to acclimate myself," he says. "It was not the mine that
drew me, but the possibility of running dogs in my spare time. I borrowed the governor's dogs and made myself known in the area." In the mine it was tough. "As a southerner I had to take in a little more than the others," he says. "We were devalued, and it was just man up and take it in. There was a general skepticism that southerners could work." Strand traveled constantly to visit Johnson, who lived at Blåhuken in Van Mijenfjorden. The oil company Caltex had stopped drilling there, and Johnson was supervising efforts to ensure the Russians would not get a grasp on the drilling mud and analyze it. "So we sat there and looked," he says. "As I had learned how to do using binoculars. He said that I just had to look and look and look. And so it was important to think about what I saw." The miner did as his friend said. He concentrated, let the eyes into the two pipes. Suddenly he saw the outline of a polar bear. They threw themselves on the snowmobile labeled Varg and sped towards the bear that was headed for the cabin. It slammed into a rifle shot and Strand had killed his first polar bear. There would be many more. First come, first served After years in the mines, Strand and his brother-in-law, Erik Forfang, embarked on a sailing vessel that would take them southeast of Svalbard. On Aug. 15, they were put ashore on Halvmåneøya, just south of
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SKINNING BOARD: On a skinning board the bear's hide is scraped so that only the skin remains. But it is important not to scrape too close to the hair roots – that will give the hide a blush color.
BREAD BAKING: Every 15th day they bake 15 loaves of bread. Arvid Strand bakes the most because he learned to while he was at sea. The results are weather dependent. If the wind is in the wrong direction, the loaves won't rise and become hard as stone.
Edgeøya. would probably not see anyone Strand was excited. Was until next year. What we had anyone else there? According forgotten to ask about, we had to the unwritten rules of the to teach ourselves. The answers hunters, it was first come, first you get afterwards and then it served. may be too late." But there was no life to see Entirely green he was not. at Bjørneborg, the cabin that He had learned much about the was the center of all activity on Inuit on the North Pole expethe island that was considered dition. Little things that seem the best fishing grounds in so obvious once you've learned Svalbard. Drafting ice from the them. For example, if you have east around Edgeøya made it any dogs you will bind them firm, flush with polar bears in the area. but there is not a tree for several The two brothers-in-law had hundred kilometers. You take a read up well on the expeditions knife and chop at an angle into of Nansen, Amundsen and the the ice from two sides so there other polar heroes, but it was is a small tunnel. something else to be standing "The ice bridges hold anytthere themselves. Strand admits hing," Strand says. "It is these in retrospect that they were skills that are important to reasonably blank. know." "I thought I was master of the world before we left," he Swedish Mauser says. "But as we stood there With a Swedish Mauser made at on Halvmåneøya, we knew we Husqvarna Vapenfabrik and 30
to 40 homemade guns positioned around the island, the hunting process began. The time Strand killed his first bear at Blåhuken he had watched closely as Johnson skinned the animal. It was the only examination he got before the trip to Halvmåneøya. Now he was the expert and had to teach his brother-in-law. "We had a twofold goal with our travels north," Strand says. "Firstly, we would be equals as hunters as much as possible. Secondly, it was about making money. But most of all it was an adventure because we were in no way dependent on a good season to get by financially." Nevertheless, it seemed for a short while that everything could end up in the oil industry. Oil adventure begins On Bjørneborg there was a vintage issue of Nordlys in the
attic. With that it was possible to follow the dates one year in arrears, so they had reading material for the entire stay. There was also a stack of Vi Menn. In one of the issues was the story "The Battle for Oil on Halvmåneøya." With wide eyes, the two hunting buddies read about a former trapper who had gone through the ice on a lake and got something sticky in his boots. It turned out to be oil. Strand familiarized himself again. He had also gone through the ice and noticed a bubbling in the water that could be from an undiscovered oil field. The two men decided to make claims on Halvmåneøya. But to get them registered, they had to get to Longyearbyen. Via radio they had contact with legendary pilot Alfred Tiefenthal in Longyearbyen, who had a seaplane. It was decided
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TODAY: The old miner and hunter Arvid Strand would give everything to return to Halvmåneøya. PHOTO: CHRISTIAN NICOLAI BJØRKE
EVENING WORK: Arlid Strand spends evenings getting bones out of bear paws. The claws sit in the outer wrist, but the bones next to outer wrist must be removed before the skin is cleaned.
that he would fetch Forfang so he could get to Oslo and register the claim areas. Meanwhile Strand would set up markers at the appropriate places and take pictures of them. Tiefenthal came to Halvmåneøya in May. But as Forfang was climbing aboard seaplane, he stepped wrong and ripped one wing. "Must you be left here now?" Strand asked the pilot. The pilot managed to patch the wing together temporarily, but did not dare to carry a passenger on the trip home. He thus returned to Longyearbyen alone, fixed the wing, and went back and picked up Forfang. Strand would be retrieved later. June, July and August passed. He began to prepare for the possibility he would be there for one year. Fortunately, the boat came, along with the news that
Forfang had done the job. The claim was filed. "But eventually we went into a partnership with a small oil company called Norsk Polarnavigasjon," Strand says. "They took over more and more since they had the knowledge. We were both in a way put on the sidelines." Halvmåneøya never became an oil mecca. The musk ox hunting In 1969, Strand traveled to Greenland to catch musk ox. Also on the trip was Johnson. Politicians and former Bardu Mayor Alfred Henningsen had the idea of starting a musk ox farm in northern Norway that would produce wool of the finest quality. The wool's unique characteristics supposedly would be suitable in the suits of astronauts since it was as light as silk and had
superior insulation properties. Strand and Johnson participated and made enclosures in Greenland. Finally, 25 animals were transferred to Norway. They are currently on Ryøya, south of Tromsø. But for the hunters, that was not entirely their goal. Over the radio they had been told a total protection of the polar bear was in the works. Strand, Johnson and Svein Yttreland threw everything they had in their hands and set a course for the south side of Egdeøya. "It was so important to get oneself for the last year with the polar bears, the last year that there were real hunters," Strand says. The upcoming autumn left Johnson alone at Andréetangen in Tjuvfjorden, while Strand and Yttreland held to Bjørneborg. When the ice came and it was possible to move over long stretches, they met again. "We never needed to arrange something with Per," Strand says. "We knew what he was going to do and he did what we came to do." In two seasons, Strand and his hunting friends felled a combined total of 229 polar bears. Once on the same day they felled 13 with the help of rifles and spring-guns. But the 1969-70 season was the last for
the trapper from west Oslo. "I would most of all have stayed at Halvmåneøya for the rest of my life with my wife," he says. "But I realized that wasn't a go." The home was expecting a little daughter. As things were winding down, Strand spent a spring as a sealer in Vestisen in 1971. But he had to make a choice. What is the next best thing I can do on Earth? The answer came quickly. Farming. Whale-hunting seller He took a half-year subscription of Nationen to read the sales ads. He began to travel around looking for a suitable place. Most farms were too expensive, some of them had claims, or was there something else that got in the way. The farm dream seemed remote. But one day he came to Grødtvedt at Rakkestad in Østfold. It turned out the seller had spent 11 years whaling around South Georgia. They got to talking and started to share experiences and stories from their time in cold environments. And the seller decided on the spot; all other interested parties could just pack up and leave. This farm Arild Strand should simply have.
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The dying trapper tradition Harald Soleim (73) has made a living trapping at Kapp Wijk since 1976. He is part of a dying breed.
DESOLATE: South of Edgeøya lies Halvmåneøya, literally translated "Half Moon Island". MAP: NORWEGIAN POLAR INSTITUTE
ii The shopkeeper's son who had been a hunter now had to learn to master another craft. He had always seen flour in malted form, and could not distinguish oats from wheat and barley. The difference from the years at Halvmåneøya was that in Rakkestad it was possible to go over to a neighbor and ask your questions. He bought t wo sows at auction and also started a dairy. It was the start of 40 years of farming, 22 of them as a dairy farmer – almost without a single break. Now he is 72 years old and living in a suburban area. The street name is appropriate enough: Eventyrveien ("Adventure Road"). Close, but distant And now he goes around Longyearbyen’s streets as an outsider. Before Easter he was back on Blåhuken near Van Mijenfjorden, where he shot his first bear. The hope was long coming over to Aghardbukta. On a clear day one can see Edgeøya over Storfjorden. But even if he is physically closer to Halvmåneøya than ever, he has also never been farther away. The island has been part of the Southeast Svalbard Nature Reserve since 1973. The polar bear has been protected since the same year. "The grandchildren may never experience what I experienced," he says. "I think that is sad." When asked what he would give to see Halvmåneøya again, the answer came instantly. "Anything."
AT KAPP WIJK: Harald A. Soleim has been a trapper for 38 seasons.
in the archipelago. The now 73 year old man from Bergen The first settlers in Svalbard started trapping on Svalbard were trappers. Historians have in Bjonahamna the summer of found evidence of Russian trap- 1976, but moved to Kapp Wijk per activity in the dark season in the following summer. Every the mid-18th century. The first winter season since then he Norwegian over-winter trapper has lived alone at his trapper expedition was in 1790, but it station, and sustained himself is assumed that the onset of by hunting, and gathering eggs organized trapper activity was and eiderdown. in 1840. In an interview conducted by During the past 170 years, Svalbardposten two years ago, a handful tough people have Soleim criticized the policies of sustained themselves in trappers the government. cabins in the archipelago every "The signals from the authoriwinter. But the tradition seems ties say that the trapper tradition to be coming to an end. is to be continued. But, the way things are going, I´ll soon be the Dying tradition only one left", he said. The Norwegian governments His utterance was partly in goal is to sustain the trapper response to the fact that several tradition in Svalbard. But during applicants at that time got their the last few years, the number of trapper applications refused by tough men and women who are the governor. willing and able to take on the challenge of staying over winter Isolation in a trappers cabin has decreased. Not only men have spent winters The trapper tradition is in danger trapping in Svalbard. Five years of becoming extinct. ago, Linda Bakken, spent the winter in Mushamna. A total of 38 seasons three months she was alone, with Two years ago, Harald A. So- her dogs. leim was the only trapper left "The worst thing about being ii Christopher Engås
PHOTO: BIRGER AMUNDSEN
in a trapper station during the dark season is the fact that you are isolated, with no ability to get to your family if an emergency should arise. I´m thinking of deaths or severe illness. But I had no problem getting time to pass. With more than a hundred fox traps, it took me four days to check them all. And when I was done, I started all over again. I also had a lot of company in my dogs", she says. Is trapping something she want to do again in the future? "I am soon to become a mother, and things become more complicated with children involved. But I certainly wouldn´t mind trapping for part of a season, if opportunity should knock. I just hope that it will be possible to maintain this tradition in the future." ii The trapper stations
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Bringing entrepreneurship From Antarctica to Bjørnøya, Bouvet Island to Jan Mayen. LNS Spitsbergen specializes in doing business where it is not exactly easy.
ii Christopher Engås
"During the last decades, we have gained experience in dealing with Arctic conditions through our operations here in Svalbard," says Frank Jakobsen, CEO of LNS Spitsbergen AS (LNSS). "Arctic know-how has become our leading edge and
we now take orders for extreme locations all over the world." Family origins Leonhard Nilsen & Sons AS (LNS) started in the small village of Risøyhamn in Vesterålen in 1961. The founder, Leonhard Nilsen, and his son Malvin then had a truck, a bus and a taxi cab,
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to extremes mainly working locally around Risøyhamn. Today the company has 800 employees, takes orders from every corner of the world and has a turnaround of approximately 1.6 billion Norwegian kroner. The company´s engagement in Svalbard started in 1991 when Store Norske Spitsbergen
Kulkompani AS (SNSK – the state-owned mining company running the three Norwegian coal mines on the archipelago) decided to outsource its logistics. Common goal and destiny "Thirty-four employees from
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FRANKLY DIVERSE: Frank Jakobsen proudly leads the extreme company in Longyearbyen. PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER ENGÅS
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ii SNSK were transferred to the new company, which was called LNSS - the last S for Spitsbergen," Frank Jakobsen remembers. He was one of the 34, and in the 14 years since the split with SNSK he has experienced developments no one could predict at the onset. LNSS no longer provides logistics for SNSK, but the company is a cornerstone of the Longyearbyen society. It does almost anything. "We own and run the taxi service, the gas station, the car dealership and the buses," Jakobsen proudly explains. "The workshops where cars and bigger vehicles are repaired are owned and run by LNSS, and we run port services loading and unloading ships to Longyearbyen. In addition, the company is a major actor in the real estate market in town, where they build their own sets of appartments with their own carpenters and welders. The global working place Most big companies these days get to a point where they decide to scale down. Back to basics, or core activity, seems to be a slogan when the bottom line no longer flatters the shareholders. But for this Svalbard company extreme versatility - meaning an ability to take on almost anything - has been the key to success in their field. During the past decade LNSS has conducted operations in Antarctica for the Norwegian research station, Troll, and for the Indian research station Bharati. Recently the company also set up a research station on Bouvet Island in the Southern Ocean for – and along with – the Norwegian Polar Institute. Bouvet Island is often referred to as the most remote and isolated location on Earth, populated only by animals native to the Antarctic region. This year the company has big orders for revamping tank farms in Ny-Ålesund, on Bjørnøya, Jan Mayen and Hopen. In addition the company, with its mining experience, is involved in a ruby mining project on Greenland. LNSS will build the infrastructure for the joint venture with Vancouver-based
HOW TO SOLVE THIS ONE: The old trapper station "Fredheim" in the Sassen Valley in Svalbard has to be moved because the sea is eroding the banks around it. Knut Fastvold from LNSS, at right, plans the complex operation with people from the governor's office. PHOTO: CHRISTIAN NICOLAI BJØRKE
True North Gems. Extreme versatility Operating in extreme conditions is quite different to conducting operations close to civilization. Whereas it often pays off to be really good at doing one particular thing on the mainland, the secret to sucess in LNSS´s realm is being good at almost everything. "The base of our business is the knowledge we have about Arctic conditions and what is needed to do a good job," Jakobsen says. "That being building a bridge, a house or digging a mine or a tunnel. But to go to, for example, Bouvet Island to set up a research station requires a lot more than knowledge. We have to have people who can do everything from carpenting to welding to electrical installations. The quality of our employees is, in that respect, the key to our success." "And we have become logistics experts as well. When one travels to remote places to do jobs you cannot forget anything. It is nearly impossible to go back to get something when you are there and it costs loads of money. Everything has to be planned to the tiniest detail."
EXTREME ROOFING: Radik Vagapov and Eirik Bjerke from LNSS repair the roof on the Zeppelin-observatory on top of Zeppelinfjellet in Ny-Ålesund in June. PHOTO: EIRIK PALM
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Doctoral candidate Kirsti Lund Vik went to Bjørnøya the day after she delivered her doctoral thesis. When her stay is over, she must defend it.
UNDER THE WEATHER: Kirsti Lund Vik has worked as a waitress, bartender, guide and trash collector. ii Christian Nicolai Bjørke
She was seasick all the way to Bjørnøya. But when she came ashore, Kirsti Lund Vik recovered. Behind her was the submission of her doctoral thesis. Before her is half a year on a lonely island in the Barents Sea. "It was very good to come here," she says. She sits at a small shop window and enters all sales in a blue book. This week Vik is the store's manager, and she sells glass, thermal cups, underwear and postcards – all
with the Bjørnøya logo on them, of course. But mainly her job is to be a meteorological representative. That also involves sending up weather balloons every day. "None of them have crashed yet, knock on wood," she says. Trash collector The station's crew is engaging in an internal competition: who can send the balloon highest before it cracks? A colleague has the record at 25,800 meters. Kirsti is just behind at 25,300 meters.
Vik lived in Longyearbyen for much of her childhood. "My parents met in front of the fireplace at Funken." She returned to Longyearbyen as an adult, working several seasonal jobs. She has been a waitress, bartender, guide and trash collector. And a kitchen assistant in Ny-Alesund. "I always miss Svalbard when I'm on the mainland," she says. Doctoral thesis The day before she left she submitted her doctoral thesis in health science to the Norwe-
PHOTO: CHRISTIAN NICOLAI BJØRKE
gian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. Vik researched risk factors for heart and cardiovascular diseases, and compared their links between parents and children. "The short version is that parents affect children," she says. After the stay she must defend her thesis. That means she must spend much of her free time reading now that the light is back. "It is really a pity, because I've applied here for a chance to go exploring," she says.
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This causes the sea to rise The outflow of Basin-3 on Austfonna is surging for the first time in 140 years. It is now probably pouring more ice into the ocean than all of Svalbard's other glaciers combined. considerable speed in the past two or three years," said Andy Researchers from the Uni- Shephard, a professor at the versity of Leeds announced University. "It is moving at least earlier this year their findings ten times faster than previous from the European Union’s new measurements." Sentinel-1a satellite, which has been in operation since april. Fieldwork in Svalbard Using the satellite’s radar, the The previous measurements researchers discovered parts of were made by postdoctoral Austfonna are moving faster researcher Thorben Dunse and than before. his colleagues at the University "It is clear that it set up a of Oslo. They have considerable experience on Europe’s largest ice cap and returned last week from this year’s field work. "We could not do the work where we wanted because there were so many cracks in the area," Dunse said. Since 2004, he and his colleagues have collected data at the ground level and from remote instruments such as the German Terrasar-x satellite. Dunse said he is not surprised by the findings of the eu researchers. "Our measurements have shown that part of Austfonna as it is going out in the Barents Sea has a significantly higher speed FIELDWORK: Researcher than before," Dunse said. "It has Thorben Dunse have surged since the fall of 2012." considerable experience on Europe's largest ice cap. The article this week PHOTO: PRIVATE Denuse’s findings regarding
the Austfonna surge have been accepted and will be published by the scientific journal The Cryosphere. The findings revealed by the Sentinel are noted and discussed in detail.
ii Christian Nicolai Bjørke
Outlet glaciers Several Norwegian media organizations reported the entire Austfonna ice cap is melting full speed into the ocean. This is incorrect. Austfonna is comprised of several outlet glaciers that have their own ways of transporting ice toward the coast. Some have their own names, such as Etonbreen in the western part and Bråsvellbreen in the southern area. The others, in fine Svalbard tradition, are numbered. The part now surging is called Basin-3, and goes eastward and out into the Barents Sea. Dunse said that the surge does not necessarily indicate climate change. "It is natural and happens with many glaciers in Svalbard," he said. "But we have data on the surface melting process contributing significantly to the process. So when the climate gets warmer in the future, it may change how often glaciers surge in Svalbard." The last time Basin-3 surged was around 1870. It was unknown when it would do so again, but researchers were guessing between 200 and 500 years.
"Now it seems that it only took about 140 years," Dunse said. Basin-3’s outflow has lasted for about one-and-a-half years, and researchers expect it will continue for a few more years before it stops. "It depends on how much ice has built up in the upper part of the glacier since the previous surge," Dunse said. Never theless, the la rge amount of ice is worthy of discussion. The loss of mass from Basin-3 during the past year is equal to the annual mass loss from all glaciers in Svalbard from 2003 to 2008. "The glaciers are the largest contributor to sea level changes and the surge from Europe’s largest glacier means a very large contribution in a short time," Dunse said. The front goes back In particular, it is the 200-kilometer-long glacier front in the Barents Sea that is paying the price. The calving of that iceberg is the reason Austfonna has lost considerable mass during the past decade. "The front is set back several tens of meters every years." Although surface melting and snowfall on the glacier are in balance, large areas are decreasing by several tens of meters, according to data from the ESA's CryoSat satellite. It
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ii Surge
PHOTO: THORBEN DUNSE
measures the distance down into the ice using radar pulses and can detect changes in height. But despite the enormous quantities of ice now going out into the
ocean, Dunse said he believes Austfonna will stabilize within the next ten years. "There are glaciers in West Spitsbergen that have decreased
the most because they have lost large parts of their area as they are get supplied each year," he said. "But that is not the case at Ausfonna.
t " TVSHF JT B QPXFSGVM BOE TUFFQ JODSFBTF PG NPWFNFOU CZ B HMBDJFS UIBU IBT CFFO jRVJFUx GPS B MPOH UJNF 5IJT PGUFO SFTVMUT JO B TJHOJรถ DBOU HMBDJBM UISVTU t (MBDJFST IBWF BO BDDVNVMBUJPO BSFB JO UIFJS VQQFS SFHJPOT XIFSF UIFZ BSF TVQQMFNFOUFE CZ TOPX FBDI XJOUFS *G B HMBDJFS JT JO CBMBODF XJUI UIF DMJNBUF JU XJMM GSPN UIF PVUTJEF BQQFBS BT JG UIF HMBDJFS JT TUBUJPOBSZ t 4VSHJOH HMBDJFST IBWF HFOFSBMMZ NPWFE WFSZ TMPXMZ GPS B MPOH UJNF CFDBVTF GPS FYBNQMF UIF CPUUPN QBSU IBT GSP[FO UP UIF HSPVOE EVF UP QFSNBGSPTU BMMPXJOH UIFN UP CVJME VQ NBTT BU UIF UPQ EVF UP OPU CFJOH USBOT QPSUFE EPXOXBSE 0ODF HMBDJFST FOUFS BO BDUJWF TVSHJOH QFSJPE UIFZ EJTQPTF PG FYDFTT NBTT BU HSFBU TQFFET t 3FTFBSDIFST IBWF IJTUPSJDBM LOPXM FEHF PG UISFF HMBDJFST UIBU IBWF TVSHFE PO "VTUPOOB 5IFZ BSF #BTJO &UPOCSFFO T BOE #Sร TWFMMCSFFO o t (MBDJFST PO /PSXBZ T NBJOMBOE EP OPU TVSHF
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Svalbard Airport Longyearbyen Your entrance to the Arctic Accessible by chartered flights
Tel: + 47 67 03 54 00 e-mail: post@avinor.no www.avinor.no/lufthavn/svalbard
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PHOTO: EIRIK PALM
Should it raise a glass? With 20,000 bottles in the wine cellar, Huset is something in itself. Even in Europe, actually. ii Eirik Palm
Â&#x201E; The number 1834 is in white block letters on the bottle. This was the year when the German car designer Gottlieb Daimler was born. The year the bottle was tapped off, capped, sealed and put into storage. There are few in the world and it is the oldest among more than 20,000 bottles with 1,300 titles up in Longyeardalen. Millions Jonathan Lilie is well above average when it comes to having an interest in wine. "The insured value of the wine in storage is approximately 4.2 million kroner, but they have a sentimental value that is much higher. It was this basement that made me want to learn more," he says during a tour of the cellar with Sara Weiberg. Huset was built in 1951 and became the main communal gathering place in Longyearbyen, with the Sverdrupbyen ridge in the background. Across the river is Nybyen, where the workers of that time lived, and little further down the valley is FunksjonĂŚrbyen, where officials
lived. Huset was the neutral zone with room for everyone. The wine cellar, one of Northern Europe's largest, is largely credited to Hroar Holm. Holm ran Huset for 30 years and was the one who started to build up the wine collection. Â Michelin for wines On the wall hangs the award: Best of Award of Excellence, awarded because of the rich wine list. This is Wine Spectator's, wine's Michelin Guide, secondhighest award. Two stylized glasses are printed on the award hanging on a short wall in the cellar that is used for tasting. Only 12 Norwegian restaurants have two glasses. Statholdergaarden in Oslo is one of them. Eight have one. "We have a long-term goal of achieving three glasses," says Lilie, who is taking a leave of absence soon. "If we do so, we will be the first in Scandinavia." In that case, the champagne stands ready, but it will hardly be the locked-up, 24,000-kroner bottle. Although the wine selection is good in Longyearbyen, it is hardly as if the food is an
afterthought. The two agree the restaurants are good considering they're so far north. People also generally eat out more in Longyearbyen, something they jokingly say is because the threshold is lower due to the "world's most expensive stores." "We have tried to create different types of food at the various places," Weiberg says about the restaurant business at 78 degrees north. "And here there is crofter's fare." "It's probably a mutual competition in Longyearbyen," Weiberg says, pulling out three bottles from the 1800s. Wine in the thousands For it is wine collection that is the basis for the interview. Around the big table inside the first cooling room and the counter in the wine cellar, many have made great discoveries where wine is concerned. The second-oldest was tapped in the same year Danish forefather and storyteller Hans Christian Andersen passed away, and the man behind one of the biggest successes on four wheels, Ferdinand Porche, was born. The third-oldest was
capped and put into storage during the same year Henrik Ibsen's "Vildanden" had its world premiere. It is said that the Madeira wine's maturation process was discovered by sheer coincidence. The hum of the storm, the ship's rocking and the heat evolving from the deck during a tropical voyage accelerated the wine's aging process, created the the distinctive flavor and made it stronger. As a curiosity, there is also a watershed between the oldest and the next two bottles. Eighteen years after its provenance, the Madeira was hit by a mildew epidemic, destroying 90 percent of the grapes and causing an avalanche of bankruptcies on the island. And here it stands on the bench in front of us. But is it really possible a 180-year-old wine is still drinkable? "It can be drunk," Lilie says. "Certainly. It was subjected to much air when it was produced and it can withstand storage." Anything else would be more than a little sin. If you took the advice of tearing into a bottle for about 5,000 kroner for dessert, that is.
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Food and drink When it comes to "wining and dining" Longyearbyen has a number of places to offer. Barentz Pub & Spiseri Casual gathering place in the middle of Longyearbyen. Many meet at the "world's northernmost bar" to eat daily specials or just chat with friends and acquaintances. Brasserie Nansen A nice place with good views of Hiorthfjellet and a good kitchen at the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen. Fruene A cafe and eatery with heavy traffic, especially at lunch time. Many residents of Longyearbyen meet here to eat home made meals. Fruene also produces
their own chocolates. Funken Bar Fireplace lounge with Chesterfield furniture and an extensive polar library that provides the feeling of being back in the time of Nansen and Amundsen. Funksjonærmessen Restaurant Historic eatery up the valley in Longyearbyen. In earlier times it was here workers in the old mining community took their meals. In addition to a good kitchen, the restaurant offers no less than 70 champagne brands. Huset Café A gathering place for many decades. Good atmosphere, but simpler and more casual than the restaurant. Huset Restaurant The restaurant's menu changes with the seasons, but local
ingredients are a constant. The wine collection represents one of Europe's largest wine cellars. Karlsberger Pub A pub/bar in mine-inspired surroundings. Perhaps the largest collection of whiskey you've ever seen? Kita Sushi This is the northernmost sushi restaurant, with delectable small dishes that are made in an instant. Kroa Steakers Svalbard - or just Kroa - is known for its warm atmosphere. The food is characterized by seasonal ingredients, a good kitchen and attracting many regular diners. Mary Ann's Polarrigg It feels as if you are outside while in there, surrounded by glass, but the temperature is pleasant and
the mood is good in the "Vinterhagen" ("Winter Garden"), a very different kind of restaurant a few minutes walk from the center of Longyearbyen. Rabalder cafe at Kulturhuset Café with its own bakery and plenty of space for the children in the foyer in the cultural heart of the center of Longyearbyen. Svalbar Pub Licensed sports pub - and homemade burgers. A meeting place preferred by many. The atmosphere is great, especially during a live game of soccer on the big screen. A Taste of Thai Authentic Thai curries, soups and noodle dishes, salads and pasteries. A place for Longyearbyen's largest non-Norwegian population to get a taste of home and visitors to experience the "heat" of the Arctic.
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The modern-day Noah's ark It is built 70 metres above sea level, and its content has a permanent temperature of minus 18 degrees Celcius. Svalbard Global Seed Vault is meant to save us in future crisis.
The Treaty The Svalbard Treaty was signed Feb. 9, 1920. It recognizes Norways full and absolute sovereignty over Svalbard, according to the terms set forth in the Treaty.
JUST IN CASE: The Global Seed Vault is a major tourist attraction, despite no regular tours into it. The signifficance of the vault has become increasingly apparent in the past few years. PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER ENGÅS
ii Christopher Engås
Lying on a small side road, at the foot of Platåfjellet on the way to the closed Mine 3, it's exterior is very inconspicuous. But the contents is of huge significance. It is meant to save the world in times of deep crisis. That is to protect the genetic diversity in food plants against disease, climate change and other disasters. The attraction Since the Svalbard Global Seed Vault was opened Feb. 26, 2008, it has become one of the biggest tourist attractions in the archipelago. Not that the vault itself is much of an attraction: there are no regular tours into the vault and the exterior is really just a concrete slab with steel doors with some elaborate art work above them. It is the signifficance of the vault in a much bigger perspective, that attracts tourists. To be able to say that one has stood outside the vault, that one has been there, has become a virtue in itself. To this one should add
that tourists can get a more thorough impression at the informative replica on display at Svalbard Museum. The permafrost In planning the vault it was important to avvoid building it in, or too close to coal-bearing layers of the mountain since this would expose it to possibilities of contact with methane gas. It was also important to place the vault high enough in the terrain to allow for all thinkable types of future climate change. The facility consists of the concrete portal building which gives access through the mountain. The innermost part, the freezer vault itself, is divided into three equal sized caverns of 9.5 by 27 metres. The entire facility is constructed in a part of the permafrost which is not affected by temperature variations. Largest on Earth With more than half a million types of seeds, it is the largest seed collection on the planet.
The author Pål Hermansen describes the impression of the interior well in his book "Seeds to the World" ("Frø til verden"), published in 2013: "This is a journey from country to country, through geography and history. Here are myriads of boxes of rice varieties from IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) in the Philippines, stacks of boxes from the American and Canadian agricultural authorities, and plastic containers from Taiwan, followed by some of the worlds most important corn treasures from Mexico and Brazil. In the shelf on the opposite side there are red wooden boxes from North Korea, and a signiff icant number of cardboard boxes from the research institute in Aleppo in Syria. Considering the restless situation in some of these parts of the world, it is a relief that the genetic treasures from the cradle of our civilization are safely stored in the shelves here 150 metres under the ground in Svalbard."
Non-discrimination Under the treaty, Norway is must grant equal rights to citizens and companies from all the parties to the treaty: * Entrance to and residence in Svalbard. t Fishing and hunting. t Maritime, industrial, mining and commercia l activities. t Acquisition, enjoyment and exercise of property rights, including mineral rights. Taxation Collected taxes, fees and charges shall benefit Svalbard only. Norway may not use its authority to secure revenues beyond those needed for the administration of Svalbard. Military limitations Norway is obliged to prevent the establishment of fortifications and naval bases. Svalbard must never be used for war like purposes. Environmental preservation The Treaty also expressively states that Norway has the responsibility of preserving the natural environment in Svalbard. The treaty today The main objective of Norwegian policies on Svalbard is to respect the Treaty and to ensure it is complied with in order to secure peace and stability in the area. Researchers from all countries are given equal rights toconduct research.
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DARK SEASON BLUES The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Northernmost Blues Festival
The four-day festival is an annual event in late October at 78 degrees north in Longyearbyen. It marks the beginning of the dark season when daylight and the sun is about to leave Svalbard for four long winter months.
2014 OCTOBER 23 - 26
www.svalbardblues.com
2015 OCTOBER 22 - 25
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LISTENING TO THE MOUNTAIN: Miner Eirik Rognmo in Svea Nord. PHOTO: CHRISTIAN NICOLAI BJØRKE
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A coal-hearted tradition Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani AS has been the strong backbone of Longyearbyen. And the coal mining company aims at continuing to be just that, despite lower earnings and increasing political resistance to its activity. ii Christopher EngĂĽs
Â&#x201E; Late last year the first load of coal was taken out of the Lunckefjellet mine near Svea, a Store Norske operation south of Longyearbyen. Lunckefjellet lies behind the mine Svea Nord, where Store Norske has taken out close to two millon metric tons of coal since 2002. Faith in the future It took Store Norske nearly eight years to plan the Lunckefjellet mine and an investment of 1.2 billion kroner (200 million US dollars). The price of coal on the international market has plummeted the past few years, leading to negative earnings for the company. But Store Norske has refused to back down. CEO Per Andersson is still optimistic. "If we succeed with our plans and the coal prices rise like we think they will we will make a profit again in 2015," he said to Svalbardposten a few weeks ago. Last year the company went through some tough cost-cutting measures and the total number of employees is now just above 300. Long tradition Tough times call for tough measures. Often the tough measures are taken because one
has something to defend. In Longyearbyen and Svalbard, Store Norske definately has a lot to defend. The company started its activity 98 years ago in Longyearbyen, digging one mine after another up through the years in the mountainsides of Longyeardalen and Adventdalen. Indeed, today one can see the old mines while walking through Longyearbyen. A total of five mine openings are visible from the town. Longyearbyen was for the longest time a "company town," where only workers and their families could live. If you wanted to visit the settlement you had to be invited by Store Norske. The Norwegian government opened Svalbard to tourism in 1990. Still the soul Store Norske still is the landowner in and around Longyearbyen, and the company has a housing stock of approximately 360 units. Even though tourism, academia
and a few other business sectors have blossomed the past two decades, there is nothing quite comparable to the mining company in Svalbard. The Strategic Business Plan recently adopted by the municipality of Longyearbyen states the company's activity, even though it directly employs only 300, accounts for twice as many jobs indirectly. In a society with a total of 2,100 inhabitants that is signifficant, to say the least. Being aware of growing opposition to coal mining nationally and internationally, in addition to the falling profits, the leader of Longyearbyen's Chamber of Commerce describes the situation like this: "We have to be open to the possibility of coal mining coming to a slow halt," Terje Aunevik says. "And if the signals become stronger in the future we are talking serious change in this society. I don´t think people realize how important Store Norske is." Presence is king Norway's former Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, now on his way to become the secretary general of NATO, is one of many politicians in a real squeeze. Because even though he and his Labour party like to boast of their environmental awareness in all matters, they become a tad elusive when questioned about the future of coal mining in Svalbard and the state-owned company that runs them. "I think coal mining should be ended in the long term to protect the environment from emissions," Stoltenberg said to
Svalbardposten while visiting Long yearbyen last month. "But in Svalbard there are other concerns that are as important, and they have to be adressed at the same time. The mining industry is vital for the Norwegian settlement in Longyearbyen and Svea, and the presence of the settlement is, in turn, important for Norway in a geopolitical sense." So onward we go Today Store Norske runs three mines in Svalbard. At Svea the company is digging out the last few million tons of coal in Svea Nord while at the same time working the Lunckefjellet mine. The coal from these operations is shipped all over Europe. Just outside of Longyearbyen, the company runs Mine 7, taking out coal for consumption by German industries and Longyearbyen's power plant. Amidst turmoil and debate about its activity, Store Norske looks ahead. The company is already planning new mines after Svea Nord and Lunkefjellet are empty. A mine in Ispallen (a mountain near Svea) is on the drawing board and the company also has its eyes set on Operafjellet (a mountain across from Longyearbyen). For most people in Longyearbyen this is far less controversial than for people on the mainland. After all, the company has been their lifeline for 98 years.
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Watchful eye from space PHOTO: CHRISTIAN NICOLAI BJØRKE
KSAT wants to become even more important for environmental monitoring in the north. ii Eirik Palm
Above Platåfjellet circles a large number of satellites. About 70 of these are accessed for downloads by the Svalbard Satellite Station (SvalSat). Each of the satellites takes about 100 minutes to circle the globe, and data is continuously downloaded and disclosed to customers worldwide. Complete darkness "Many of these can be used for oil preparedness," says SteinChristian Pedersen, the station commander at SvalSat. Among other things, KSAT (Kongsberg Satellite Services AS) delivers data about ice conditions to Statoil, in addition to monitoring oil spills on the sea surface. Powerful radar instruments are ready to assist with the capturing of oil from a dead whale, while other satellites provide so-called AIS data. By combining the information they have full details about a spill's size, the culprit and where it is located, even in complete
darkness. This is an important contribution to emergency preparedness at sea. Nearly a billion kroner has been invested so far on SvalSat and KSAT, as its owner, is now positioning the station for an increase in traffic in the north. With more activity comes an increasing need for services – and the risk of accidents. Increasing Last spring the oil industry drilled near Bjørnøya. Major oil and gas resources are located in the north. But here there is also a tougher climate, more dark, ice and large distances. A greater risk of acute pollution, however, is shipping. Many researchers predict 20 to 25 percent of shipping traffic between Europe and Asia in 2030 will go through the Northeast Passage. The consequence is an increased chance of spills. This is where Pedersen thinks SvalSat will have an even more important role in environmental monitoring. KSAT provided extensive data
during the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico when the Deepwater Horizon rig went down in 2010. But it is still not possible to see oil in brash ice from satellites and, with increasing activity further north, this is a relevant issue. "We have used popcorn with slush to try to find an algorithm for detecting oil spills in brash ice," he says. "Today there are no methods for it. We are working to find out a way." The work is done in collaboration with the Norwegian Coastal Authorities and The University Centre in Svalbard since, as the activity increases, so does the risk of spills in the ice. Positioning itself The Arctic Council has been working on a contingency plan in connection with oil spills. While the oil industry is responsible for analyzing the impact of their activities, the shipping traffic is not. "If anything is happening with shipping traffic, it can be disastrous," a spokesperson
DETECTING: Data from the satellites is used by numerous countries for many purposes, such as monitoring oil spills.
from the council said during a workshop in Tromsø in late November 2013. More and more monitoring is taking place from the heavens. About 160 satellites have been sent up during the past 10 years. Another 230 are expected during the next decade. In addition, NASA, EUMETSAT, ISRO and Iridium satellites (the ESA's Sentinel satellites) are important. These are doing environmental monitoring.
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THE LOCAL EXPERTS Northern lights and Polar night or midnight sun and 24 hour fun – let Spitsbergen Travel help you find the perfect program for your Arctic adventure. Whatever the season, we are here to help you get the most out of your visit to Svalbard, with a range of exciting activities available throughout the year. Whether you are looking for a full package with flights, accommodation, activities and more, or want to add a little more adventure to your stay, our knowledgeable local team look forward to hearing from you!
BOOK NOW Booking day trips has never been easier! You can book 24 hours a day online on www.spitsbergentravel.com, or in person at the reception at the Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen, Spitsbergen Hotel or Spitsbergen Guesthouse. For packages with accommodation, activities and more, contact Spitsbergen Travel directly on info@spitsbergentravel.no or ring +47 7902 6100.
Book now on +47 7902 6100 or info@spitsbergentravel.no www.spitsbergentravel.com
© Hanne Feyling - Spistbergen Travel
© Dominic Barrington
© Hanne Feyling - Spistbergen Travel
Choose your own Arctic adventure